The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-12-01
The Governors .,r Message.


Governor Richardson, in the message
which was presented to the General As.
sembly yesterday, considers, first, the
condition of the State debt. He is con.
6deut that with proper effort the Def
cheney Bonds which mature next year
can refunded at 4 or ~ per cent in
terest, which would save the State, at
the lower rate, $4,000 year: he believes
that this would lead to the refunding of
the whole of the remainder of the State
debt, upon its maturity in 1893, at a
like rate of interest, the saving to the
State being s12O,OOO year.
The troublesome question of forfeited
lands is next dealt with, the amount of
forfeitures now being 914,S53 acres in
cludinr 100, ,O45 acres which were forfeited
last ear. The Governor reviews the
legislation on this subject, and comes to
the conclusion that the Acts of Indul.
gence passed in 1877, and subsequently,
as well as the DEGREES of the Courts, have
operated against the honest taxpayer and
have offered premium to delinquents.
The Governor recommends that, in view
of the inability to give satisfactory titles
to the purchasers of forfeited lands,
under the present system, authority be
given to the Commissioners of the Sink
ing Fund to bring, in their discretion,
actions in the Courts of the State to
recover from the former owners OF the
forfeited lands the amount due for taxes,
costs and penalties, as for debt, the com.
.missioners taking a judgment in the
different cases and selling the lands to
satisfy the judgment. This addition to
the powers nogaexercised by the Com.
mission will enable the board to deal
with cases which are now out of reach,
and will not interfere with their present
modes OF securing the payment of taxes,
or clog the Courts by multitude Of
actions as under general and mandate
ry law. The suggestions of the Cover
nor on this subject are worthy of the
study of the Legislature. Some means
must be found of distinguishing between
the. taxpayer who pays and the taxpayer
Who 1fuds his profit in being delinquent
at the expense of his fellow citizens.
In the public schools generally there
is gradual and constant increase in the
number of pupils, and the people of the
State are now more aroused upon the
subject Of education, in the Governors
opinion, than ever before in their history.
It is recommended that general law be
framed to provide for local taxation to
supplement the school fund, wherever
the taxpayers desire schools of q higher
grade. There should also be greater
facilities for the training of teachers.
Governor Richardson compliments Mr..
Rice, the superintendent of education,
upon his efforts to create new and in
creased interest in the educational de-.
partment of the Government.
The South Carolina College is spoken
of in terms of unmixed praise, and it is
confidently asserted that, in its methods
and attendance and work, it will not
suffer by comparison with any Of the
leading educational institutions of the
South. In spite of the requirement that
tuition fees be paid, the number of ma
triculates for the present year is l6O,
which is only two less than the average
number for the FIVE preceding years.
Among the students there are 63 benef-
ciaries. The mechanical department OF
the college is reported as increasing in
reputation and efficiency, and the college
gives practical as we'll as scientific in
struction in agriculture, agricultural
chemistry aud horticulture. In its ex,
perimental field work the institution is
not surpassed, the Governor says, BY any
agricultural college in the ccunry. l; is
proposed to reorganize the institution on
university basis, and the Governor
bespeaks for the scheme the favorable
consideration of the Legislature.
Of the South Carolina Military
Academy the Governor says that ii
occupies distinctive and indispensable
place in our educational system, and
guarantees to the State that the youth
who is fortunate enough to be educated
there will be law.abiding, cultivated
and useful citizen. Sixty.three cadets
have been graduated since the re.estab
lishment of the Academy; % of thes.
are teaching, II are engineers, 8 are al
work in railroad Offices, 2 are draughts
men, 9 are in mercantile life, 6 are
farming, are studying medicine, 3 are
studying law, l is studying dentistry ano
is engaged on a newspaper. Thirty
nine of the graduates were beneficiary
cadets. The usual appropriation for the
Academy is recommended.
The Claain College for colored youth
shows a marked increase and improve
ment in attendance, the students number
ing GAL. There have been, in all, 81
graduates since 1879. The Governor
bears willing testimony to the excellen
management, discipline and system o
the institution.
OF the department of agriculture tn
Governor says that the good work it j
now doing and its work in the past will
he is sure, commend it to the continued
support and encouragement of the Lcgis
lature.
The Governor describes the condition
iof the two experimental stations, an